Although the Internet is becoming an increasing source of information, entertainment and commerce, traditional visual media, such as print, e.g., magazines, newspapers, catalogs, books, mailings, billboards, signs, paintings, posters and the like, and video sources, e.g., television, motion pictures, video cassettes and discs, and the like, remain an important stimulus in everyday life.
Despite the continued popularity of traditional visual media, the limitations of the medium become apparent when compared to today's Internet-based information sources, like the world-wide-web (“WWW” or “web”). For example, traditional visual media may take much longer to produce than computer network-based content, and may have considerably greater production costs. Moreover, traditional visual media typically does not provide the depth of content permitted by electronic files, because traditional visual media cannot be associated with, or “hot-linked” to, additional sources of information like electronic files. Accordingly, traditional visual media cannot provide the virtually infinite depth of content provided by electronic data on a computer network.
This severe limitation on the depth of content provided by traditional visual media can be very frustrating for readers, viewers, and in particular, shoppers. For example, an article about a celebrity in a traditional print-based magazine or physical publication may show one or more photographs of the celebrity. A reader of the magazine that enjoys the article and wants to learn more about the celebrity may perform a web search for additional information about the celebrity. But, what if the reader desires additional information regarding a parka the celebrity is wearing in one of the magazine photographs? The reader may turn to a web search engine for assistance, but without knowing the manufacturer of the parka or other information, any Internet search by the reader is likely to be futile. Even if the reader knows the name of the manufacturer of the parka, the reader may be unable to locate the manufacturer's web site, and may be unable to determine if the manufacturer has a web site at all. Similarly, the reader may be unable to obtain information regarding furniture or other objects shown in the photographs with the article. By the same token, a viewer of a favorite television program, may see a celebrity wearing clothing during the program, and the viewer is interested in further information regarding the clothing. And also like the reader, the viewer may like further information regarding the furniture or housewares appearing in particular scenes of the program, but lack the ability to determine where to look for further information. This inability to locate additional information about objects shown in traditional visual media sources can be extremely frustrating for a reader or viewer.
As another example of how the limitations of traditional visual media may be frustrating to readers and viewers, consider the reader of a traditional print-based skiing magazine (or a viewer of a skiing program). An article in a skiing magazine (or a scene in the program) may feature pictures of a skier on a beautifully groomed slope with a quaint ski lodge in the background. However, in most cases, all of the objects in the photographs (or scene) will not be identified. Therefore, the reader (or viewer) may have a great degree of difficulty locating the ski resort, the type of ski bindings worn by the skier, or even the exact slope that the skier is on. This inability to locate information related to traditional visual media is extremely frustrating for consumers.
Similar to traditional visual media, conventional visual media present in some electronic publications (including video sources) on the Internet, typically do not provide any detailed information about products shown in digital or electronic images within the electronic publication. While such digital or electronic images may be “hot-linked” to corresponding Internet sites, such conventional visual media do not provide a break down of products forming the digital or electronic image contained within the electronic publication. Conventional electronic publications generally do not provide instantaneous product descriptions and separate enlarged views of each of the products shown within the image. For example, an electronic publication, such as a web page, may provide a graphics image of a skiing scene similar to the one discussed above that shows a skier on a beautifully groomed slope with a quaint ski lodge in the background. If the reader wants more information about the individual objects depicted in the skiing scene, such as an enlarged view of the skis or a complete description as to their identification and possible retail location or both, the reader may need to initiate an Internet or web search to ascertain this type of product or service information. Such an Internet search could be rather time consuming without any guarantee of success.
Visual media sources also present problems to manufacturers, retailers, and advertisers that desire to receive feedback on the effectiveness of their visual media advertisements. Retailers, manufacturers, and advertisers pay substantial funds in placing their advertisements and products (as in television and movies) in an effort to inspire consumers to purchase their goods or services. However, no objective gauge exists to measure the effectiveness of these advertisements relative to their being viewed by potential consumers, to their invoking interest in the goods or services, or in resulting in an actual sale of goods or services shown in the advertisements or resulting from the product placement.
Therefore, in light of these problems, there is a need for a system and method for creating and displaying an interactive electronic representation of a corresponding visual media object that can easily associate a traditional visual media object, or conventional visual media objects, such as digital or electronic images contained within conventional electronic publications, to an interactive electronic representation of a visual media object. There is a further need for a system and method creating an interactive electronic representation of a corresponding traditional visual media object that can “hot-link” objects in printed publications, television and movie scenes, and the like, to related electronic documents. There is an additional need for a system and method for displaying an interactive electronic representation of a corresponding visual media object that can track demographic information regarding consumers of traditional visual media objects, such as magazines, newspapers, television programs and movies, and conventional visual media objects, such as electronic publications (including video sources) containing digital images. There is a further need for a system and business method for using interactive electronic representations of media objects to provide advertising management services to manufacturers, retailers, catalog retailers, service providers, advertisers, broadcasters, producers and publishers. There is also a need for a system and business method for using interactive electronic representations of media objects to measure the effectiveness of advertisements in visual media relative to their being viewed by potential consumers, to their invoking interest in the goods or services, or in resulting in an actual sale of goods or services shown in the advertisements.